Interesting... My bait may be busted

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Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:46 pm

Maybe sometimes Lads are smarter than we think. One of my character is an old man, so when I had to send a photo of myself I sent a photo of Gene Hackman (not a professional runway photo by any means, but one that looks like a more candid photo and one where he is showing his age). So I get a reply back from the scammer with the subject line "(My characters name) are you Gene Hackman?". So I figure I have been found out, but yet the message still continued with the huge long paragraphs still trying to scam me.

I'm sure he just copied and pasted his usual script, but I just found it interesting that he is calling me out on being Gene Hackman, yet still possibly trying to scam me. Think I've got a shot at baiting this guy still? Suggestions on where to go from here as far as a reply goes? Do I just ignore the subject line and continue to bait? I know there's many ways to handle this but I am curious as to what some of you guys would do here.

Also do you think the lad (who is from Senegal) actually knew who Gene Hackman was, or did he use a site like Tineye to figure it out? Maybe the lads are craftier than I imagined.

Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 12:54 am

I would tell the lad that you are indeed Gene Hackman, but you were afraid that the lad wouldn't believe you if you told him who you really were.

Lads watch US movies, so it is not a stretch of the imagination that he would recognize a pic of Gene Hackman.

If the lad buys your story and believes that you have Hollywood connections, you could offer to get him a part in a big movie. Connect the lad with your "agent" and then get him to send an audition video. Wink

Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 12:57 am

jose_cuervo wrote:

If the lad buys your story and believes that you have Hollywood connections, you could offer to get him a part in a big movie. Connect the lad with your "agent" and then get him to send an audition video. Wink

Bravo! Potential for an epic safari. Laughing

Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 4:41 am

Oh hell yeah! go for the jugular with a Gene Hackman bait! Love it!

Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 5:48 am

Remember: once there was a lad who was writing mails to Colt Seavers and then he set his leg on fire Wink

Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 6:51 am

The lad might have used Google's latest feature, Image Search. To avoid being busted, slightly change your picture before using it. Mirroring it horizontally and turning it a very few degrees should do the trick.

Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 9:35 am

Now your lad has found out who you really are it could be worth setting uo a Gene Hackman email addy and telling him that now he's recognised you from your photo you may as well use your normal email account rather than the one he originaly sent his email to which you use to avoid getting humdreds of email from adoring fans etc.

With a bit of luck that will really hook him and from there on the sky's the limit because if the lad believes that he's dealing with a Hollywood star with squillions of cash you may be able to get him to jump through as many hoops as you want.

The funniest thing that I've had happen along these lines is I sent a lad a pic of David Jason and the lad replied asking if I was Derek Trotter (may not mean a lot to non UK members).Well yes of course I was and for about 6 months various email s flew about from my brother Rodney,other members of the Trotter clan and from Trotter's Independant Trading's offices in Paris,New York and Peckham.

I hope you hook your lad really well because I can see all kinds of fun developing if he swallows that you're Gene Hackman.

Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 10:34 am

You could just slap him and tell him that you're fed up with people mistaking you for Gene Hackman.

Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 8:50 pm

^^Or swear him to secrecy that he is corresponding with Gene Hackman. Explain that your are tired of the constant attention from fans and that you crave anonymity. Thus, the made up name.

Posted: Tue Jul 12, 2011 9:41 pm

Not trying to be a party pooper but doesn't this, even celebrities, violate the ITP rule? I don't know how innocent Mr. Hackman is in his private life Laughing

, but still... I mean it's one thing to use his photo and claim you just look like him ("Oh, I get that all the time") but to actually claim to be him.

I apologize if I'm wrong, I'm still trying to get a feel for specific rules around here. Embarassed

Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 12:56 am

^^ There is such a thing as Public Figure rights. When one becomes a "personality" or "celebrity" they give up certain rights. They will sue you however if their "name" (brand) is commercially exploited for money. It is perfectly acceptable to use a celebrity's name in a novel or other works of fiction, even in non-fiction (i.e. books that include many public figures' names). If slander is involved, the public figure has a right to sue.

Often times celebrities and personalities names and likenesses are used in satire, i.e. Saturday Night Live., without their permission.

Having said that, how many lads use personalities/celebrity names in their scams?

Perhaps a Moderator will pass by and add more information for our edification.

Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 3:04 am

^^Back in my undergraduate days as a journalism major we had a few lectures on legal aspects of journalism, including privacy and libel issues. I recall that celebrities have a lower expectation of privacy than members of the general public. US courts generally have upheld this, especially when entertainers and politicians are involved. By the nature of their professions, these people are considered to be inviting public attention.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 29 Jul 2011 Posts: 15

Another choice would be to ask him not to tell anybody and, say, put a price to his silence Razz

Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 10:56 pm

^welcome new guy, good suggestion there Very Happy

You will go far.

Hello I'm New here! Joined: 29 Jul 2011 Posts: 15

LOL! I haven't engaged into full war yet. I have messed a bit with lads, but I'm doing it from my main account so my name is compromised. Usually I like to push them about telling me what is the address in that box they say they have for me... Of course they can't, so since they're supposed to be my "agents" I boss them around to talk to the people that holds the box to tell him... Basically asking them for things there's no way they can do although by the position they claim they hold, they should.

By the way, I have a fake passport JPG one funky lad sent me... where in the site do I upload it or to whom should I send it?

Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2011 11:39 pm

^^^ http://forum.419eater.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=115801 that would be the home for all things passporty... just remember the big red FAKE stamped on it so it can't be recycled Very Happy

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